blacken

verb

black·​en ˈbla-kən 

blackened; blackening

ˈblak-niŋ, 

ˈbla-kə- 

intransitive verb

: to become dark or black

the sky blackens

transitive verb

1

: to make black

2

: defame, sully

blackened her reputation

blackener

ˈblak-nər, 

ˈbla-kə- 

noun

Synonyms of blacken

• stain
• dirty
• besmirch
• sully

Examples of blacken in a Sentence

Fire had blackened the field.

The sky blackened as the storm approached.

Their false accusations failed to blacken my reputation.

a presidency blackened by scandal

Recent Examples on the Web

As the salmon blackens in a skillet, the spices awaken, encrusting the fish in peppery piquant. —The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026

And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead. —Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026

These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time. —Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026

The building burned to the ground and the soil has been scraped, but that blackened sago palm is still there, sprouting tons of new growth. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English blaknen, blakenen, from blak black entry 1 + -n, -en -en entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for blacken

• bracken
• lakin
• slacken

Kids Definition

blacken

verb

black·​en ˈblak-ən 

blackened; blackening ˈblak-(ə-)niŋ 

1

: to make or become dark or black

2

: to hurt the reputation of

blackener

-(ə-)nər 

noun